Abdul Samad makes HISTORY, becomes first batter from Jammu & Kashmir to achieve THIS feat

New Delhi: Abdul Samad, the Jammu and Kashmir batter, etched his name in history on Monday by becoming the first player from the state to score two centuries in a single Ranji Trophy match. His remarkable performance has been pivotal in driving his team’s efforts against Odisha in this Group A encounter, occurring just a month before the IPL 2025 mega auction.

Samad showcased an aggressive approach in the second innings, scoring 108 runs off just 108 deliveries, which included six sixes and five fours. Jammu and Kashmir declared at 270/7, leaving Odisha to chase down a target of 269 runs with only two sessions remaining in the match.

As of now, Odisha is struggling at 19/3 after 15.1 overs, with none of the other Jammu and Kashmir batters managing to score even a half-century in their second innings, highlighting Samad’s standout performance in the match.

In the first innings, the 22-year-old scored an impressive 127 runs off 117 balls, hitting six fours and nine sixes. Notably, none of the other batters in Samad’s team managed to exceed 40 runs, as they played at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, which appeared to favor spinners.

In Jammu and Kashmir’s opening match against Maharashtra, Samad contributed 23 runs in his sole innings. The team declared at an impressive 519/7, bolstered by opener Shubham Khajuria’s remarkable 255 and wicketkeeper Shivansh Sharma’s solid 106.

It appears improbable that the Jammu and Kashmir batter will be retained by the IPL 2024 runners-up, as he accumulated only 182 runs from 12 matches at an average of 23.88. While there is a possibility of retaining him as an uncapped player or using the Right to Match (RTM) option, Hyderabad may also consider Mayank Markande, who took eight wickets in seven matches but struggled with his economy.